Roja Parfums - A Midsummer Dream
An Enchanted Essence... Close Your Eyes And Dream
In honour of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s legacy, Master Perfumer Roja Dove has transformed the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the language of perfume - creating a fragrant elixir to transport the wearer from the everyday, to an ethereal realm of fantasy.
The inspiration for A Midsummer Dream comes from the belief that perfume can take you to an enchanted place – a dreamland. It can remove us from the reality of the mundane and transport us to temporal worlds of fantasy. Like a lover, scent can touch us, move us and inspire our very being.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream we are introduced to the mischievous sprite Puck, half-man half-goat. He carries a ‘love potion’ that beguiles all who fall under its spell. For me, that is precisely the reason we wear perfume – to be loved. Puck’s potion provided the perfect starting point for my perfume.
Throughout the play, we hear of people falling asleep as they succumb to Puck’s magical accomplice. When they wake, they fall in love with the first soul they encounter. It is revealed that Titania, queen of the fairies, dreams of love whilst sleeping on a bed of Musk and Rose, so I blended the two ingredients into the base of A Midsummer Dream, giving a very sensual, very soft Rose against the comforting qualities of Musk. Alongside this, I added Vanilla because of its power to enhance sensations of pleasure. Oakmoss and Tree Moss is also found in the base, a direct reference to Hermia, another victim of Puck’s love potion, who sleeps on a bed lined with Moss.
Like Shakespeare’s legendary faun, A Midsummer Dream takes two forms. The first – a one-of-a-kind presentation sees the perfume held captive within a René Lalique bottle from 1920. The bottle is adorned with Pan, God of the Woodland (the inspiration for Puck), alongside sculptured garlands of Roses and Ivy. This marriage of Fauna and Flora provides the inspiration for the second presentation – a unisex Eau de Parfum that pulls together the masculine elements of the woodland floor with the feminine elements of flowers. A Midsummer Dream is a celebration of love. Love is a powerful, enduring force that transcends reality and fantasy. Like perfume, it enchants the senses and can even bring together those dreaming of love on a midsummer night.
Bergamot and Grapefruit create a fresh foil for a bouquet of Rose and Orange Blossom in the heart of this creation, underscored by Moss Notes and Patchouli which are made lively by blend of Cardamom, Elemi, and Pink Pepper, the whole sublimated by a warm, soft base of Vetiver, Cedarwood, Benzoin, Vanilla, Carrot Seed, Orris, and Musk.
